SEATTLE — Sound Transit says light link rail service was suspended Monday morning due to issues with ventilation fans between the Westlake and U District Stations.
Rail service was restored at 7:30 a.m., but a Sound Transit representative says a problem arose during emergency testing.
“During testing of the emergency ventilation system overnight, fans at the University of Washington Station were not functioning as intended. Due to fire and life safety regulations, passengers can’t be in train tunnels when this occurs,” Sound Transit said.
These are the fans that help clear smoke during a fire or other emergency.
Service was also stopped on Saturday afternoon for a similar ventilation issue between the U District and Downtown stations.
Fans in the tunnel were not functioning and crews made repairs later that evening.
The agency says they are working on a root cause analysis for both issues.
A spokesperson for Sound Transit told KIRO 7 the equipment won’t need to be replaced, but there may be more maintenance and repair work to be done to fix the electrical issue.
Shuttles were offered for riders during the disruptions, but many riders said big crowds made for a difficult experience.
“This felt like a complete breakdown with no strategy,” said George McCadden III, who was caught up in the disruption on Saturday, and is related to a KIRO-7 employee.
McCadden III was trying to get to the U District when he was turned away from the light rail.
“As I was waiting in the line, the shuttle bus comes, and it was already packed,” he said. “Filled with people, so we couldn’t even get on.”
He eventually opted to just walk home.
“I just said, ‘I don’t need to contribute to this mess. Just get out of here,’” he said.
Similar issues in August shut down the Beacon Hill tunnel and caused disruption between Northgate and Capitol Hill stops.
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